Face-off: Biggest cultural icon: Bieber or Zuckerburg?

The case for Justin Bieber

May 16, 2011|By Chelsea Burge, Bishop Moore High School

Out of all the cultural icons who influence and inspire today's society, Justin Bieber is without a doubt one of the most prominent.

With thousands of screaming fans flocking to his concerts, hanging on to every note he sings and swooning at his youthful smile, the Bieber phenomenon is in constant growth —and it is just the beginning.

At the mere age of 17, Justin Bieber has already established a worldwide fan base of "Beliebers." He was featured in the 2011 documentary "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," which earned $72.6 million at the box office, and he has written a novel, "Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever: My Story," which was released last October.

Former American Idol judge Simon Cowell said in March that Bieber's future appears promising. Cowell proved to be clairvoyant, as Bieber's video "Baby" became the most watched video on YouTube shortly after the statement, with more than 500 million hits.

The world's widespread case of "Bieber fever" was confirmed by his recent haircut. His hair was reportedly sold for $40,000 on eBay, and is currently being showcased across the country, flanked by a bodyguard. His fans can take a picture with the iconic locks by donating to the Japanese tsunami relief fund.

This craze over Justin Bieber has particularly impacted young adolescents and the immense popularity he has claimed over just a few years implies he has little competition.

A possible parallel to Justin Bieber's influence on the world is Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook. Though it is true that millions of people utilize Facebook as a social networking device, Bieber has one huge advantage over Zuckerberg: he is loved and admired by his fans for who he is, not for just his work.

Justin Bieber is essentially a household name. This kind of notoriety will not diminish over time, while 10 years from now, Facebook could easily become as taboo as MySpace.